Home of the Underdogs
About News FAQs Contact HOTU GoogleGroup Music Manuals
Category Applications Action Adventure Education Interactive Fiction Puzzle Role Playing Games Simulation Special Sport Strategy War




Support the EFF
Welcome How you can help
Browse Games
Welcome Random Pick
Welcome By Company
  Welcome By Theme  
Welcome By Alphabet
Welcome By Year
Welcome Title Search
Welcome Company Search
Welcome Designer Search
Recommended
Welcome Freeware Titles
Welcome Collections
Welcome Discord
Welcome Twitter
Welcome Facebook
Welcome File Format Guide
Welcome Help: Non PC Games
Welcome Help: Win Games
Welcome Help: DOS Games
Welcome Recommended Links
Site History Site History
Legacy Legacy
Link to Us Link to Us
Credits Thanks & Credits
Abandonware Ring

Abandoned Places

dungeoncrawlers.org

Creative Commons License


Game #2042
Hall of Belated Fame Inductee  Hoplites    View all Top Dogs in this genreCollection: Unofficial Boardgame Conversions
War   Tabletop war

Rating: 8.85 (77 votes)

Hoplites box cover

Hoplites screenshot
Hoplites, named after the heavily-armored troops of ancient Greece, is an excellent, although unofficial, computer version of SPQR, a cardgame-style tabletop wargame from GMT Games, which is considered among grognards one of the best renditions of ancient tactical battles ever made.

The premise in Hoplites is straightforward: you control an army and fight against the computer. Both players use a deck of card that represent the units (infantry, cavalry, etc.) and special commands (e.g. flank, rally). You draw and play these cards on a "battlefield," which is represented as three zones: the centre, and two wings (left and right). On these fields, you can order the units to move, fire missiles, and attack the enemy in close combat.

As in the board game, units accumulate cohesion hits (i.e., disruption) through movement and combat. If they reach their limit, determined by unit quality, they rout. The combat system places emphasis on choosing the right types of units to engage; for example, using cavalry against infantry isn't very effective unless you manage a flank attack. Leaders are activated only one after the other. you can try to activate good leaders repeatedly in a turn (called "momentum") or interrupt the "momentum" of a weaker leader ("trumping"). This gives the game an air of authenticity, although the outcomes of battles are not always realistic.

Overall, die-hard wargamers will find a lot to like with Hoplites, especially if they are familiar with SPQR the board game. It's easy to get into, sports a decent AI, and is very faithful to the original card/board game. Highly recommended!

Reviewed by: Underdogs
Designer: Gottardo Zancani
Developer: Freeware
Publisher: Freeware
Year: 2000
Software Copyright: Gottardo Zancani
Theme: Historical
Multiplayer:  
None that we know of
System Requirements: Windows XP
Where to get it:   Official game page
Related Links: GMT Games, The Unofficial GBoT Support Pages
Links:    
If you like this game, try: Settlers of Catan, Encyclopedia of War: Ancient Battles, Europa Universalis

© 1998 - 2024 Home of the Underdogs
Portions are copyrighted by their respective owners. All rights reserved. Please read our privacy policy.